Combined recoil-check and counter-recoil check for guns.



No. 717,884. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903 C J. F. MEIGS (Sz S. A. S. HAMMAR.

COMBINED RECOIL CHECK AND COUNTER RECOIL CHECK FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

JOHNF. MEIGS Ann SIGARD A. s. HAMMAR, or BETHLEHEM, PEnNsYL VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM LEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPOR STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETH- ATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

comemro RECOlL-CHECK AND COUNTER-RECOIL CHECK FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 717,884,, dateddanuary 6, 1903.

Application filed August 23,1902. Serial No. 120,862. (No modelJ To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, JOHN F. MEIGS, acitizen of the United States, and SIGABD A. S. HAMMAR, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, both residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Recoil- Oheck and Counter-Recoil Check for Guns,

1c of which 'the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to acombined recoilcheck and counter-recoil check'for guns, and

has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of such devices, as well as the mode'of operation thereof; and the invention consists in the various features of construction and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation, substantially as hereinafter'more particularly set forth.

In referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein we have illustrated suflicient of a preferred embodiment of ourinvention teenable the same to be understood, Figural is a sectional view of a recoil device and part of a gun,.showing the parts in position at the end of the recoil, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the piston-rod and throttling-bar shown in their recuperated or normal position. 4

In the construction of devices of this character it is exceedingly desirable to make them as light and compact as possible and still of sufficient strength to withstand the shocks to which they are subjected, and, further, to so construct arrange, and operate the parts that apractically uniform pressure may be maintained under all conditions and that the resistance ofiered to the movement or stroke of the gun will be substantially uniform throughout and that this shall he automatic ally obtained through the construction of the parts, and, further, that the parts shall be so arranged that they are readily accessible for inspection or adjustment. With this general statement of the purposes and objects of our invention we will now describe the-construction shown in the drawings and point out the mcdeof operation of the same.

. Arepresents the recoil-cylinder,which may be secured upon the gun-mounting in any desirable way, it being shown assecured in the cradle C in which the gun B is mounted,

so as to move longitudinally therein. The gun may be mounted in any well-known way; but, as shown, it is provided with a. rib or projection 1), moving in a slot or recess 0 in the cradle, and the gun is provided with a shoulder or enlarged portion b, which normally impinges upon or engages the edge e of the cradle when the gun is at rest. Connected to the gun is a projection or extension B, to which the piston-rodD of the recoil apparatee is connected in any suitableway.

Ihe cylinder A is provided with a suitable stuffing-box A around the piston-rod, and it is secured in the cradle in any proper way,

similar threads in the cylinder of the cradle, and the head of the cylinder is provided with recesses a, adapted to receive a proper tool for screwing the cylinder into place. Mounted in the forward end of the cylinder is an ex but preferably by screw-threads a, engaging ternally and internally threaded head or nut be screwed into the cylinder and secured by its external thread and further adapted to receive at its internal thread the throttling-bar F, the outer end of which E, adapted to is screw-threaded to fit the opening in the head or nut E. By this arrangement of parts it will be seen that the throttling-bar F can readily be removed from the piston-rod and cylinder by simply unscrewing it, that the piston-rod can be removed from the cylinder by removing the head or not E and removing the nuts D at the rear end thereof, and that the cylinderitself can also be removed from' the cradle by unscrewing it, and thus all the parts can be adjusted or assembled with ease, rapidity, and certainty.

The piston-rod D is hollow at its forward end, as at (2 and this hollow or opening is enlarged near its forward end, as at (1 thus forming'what may be termed a counter-recoil chamber in the hollowed portion or recess d and the recoil-chamber in the enlarged portion (1 The recoil-chamber d communicates with the interior of the cylinder by a number of holes at d, the exact area or location of which is immaterial so long as theyfurnish a relatively free passage of the fluid to and from the cylinder and recoilchainber. The counter-recoil cylinder d is also provided with an opening (1, communicating with the interior of the recoil-cylinder, and this opening is of a relatively small size and of a relation to the other'parts of the apparatus as hereinafter more particularly described. The piston-rod is further provided with some sort of throttling means, (shown in the form of a ring G,) which is mounted in the forward end of the piston-rod andmay be a part of the same and embraces the throttling-bar. This throttling-ring is shown as mounted in the head D of the piston-rod. Interposed between this head and the rear of the cylinder are suitable springs l-I, they being shown as coil-springs H, surrounding the piston-rod and separated by a ring H, and

I these springs assist in taking up the recoil and act as recuperating or counter-recoil devices.

The throttling-bar F, as before stated, is mounted in the head or nut E, and its body portion F closely fits the counter-recoil chamber d of the piston-rod, and its front end F is tapered more or less, this feature being shown exaggerated somewhat inFig. 2 of the drawings. The portion of the throttling-bar normally within the recoil-chamber is formed with a double taper, and these tapers converge toward each other, and one of theta'pers comprises, in eflect, two separate tapers or inclines, one of which is quicker thanthe other. These tapers are so designed as to make the recoil pull constant byvarying .the opening formed by the throttling bar F passing through the ring G. point f to the point f is the ordinary taper made to produce a constant recoil pull. The taper fromf to f is influenced by the opening d, as after this opening is uncovered the quantity of liquid passing from the rear end to the front end or" the recoil-cylinder is reduced by the quantity passing through the opening 01 into the counter-recoil chamber d". The intermediate taper from f tof depends on the taper F and. forms a gradual transition between the two-end tapers and regulates the flow through the recoil-opening at the time when the taper F of the recoil-bar in passing the opening cZ gradually uncovers the same. It will be seen that at all times of the recoil the sum of the area of the recoil-aperture and of the area of the passage through the opening d (either governed by the taper F as during the middle of the recoil, or unimpeded, as during the last part of stroke) is so figured that it gives a constant recoil pull, while the area of d is such that the counter-recoil chamber d is filled or nearly filled during the time between its uncovering by the recoil-bar and the end of the recoil. It is not necessary that the counter recoil chamber should be perfectly filled at the end of the recoil, as a vacu- Thus the taper from the urn will do no harm, provided no liquid can pass from the recoil-chamber d into this vacuum. To prevent this, the throttling-bar F is the end of the recoil does not quite run out of the counterrecoil chamber, but fills and closes its forward end or mouth. As shown, the counter-coil chamber will be full or nearly full of liquid at the'end ofthe recoil. The counterrecoil will be practically unimpeded until the end of its stroke when the end of the throttling-bar F has passed the opening (1, and thus all escape of fluid from-the counter-recoil chamber (1 is prevented,-except'ing around thebar F, which may be fitted so as to make a very powerful throttling device.

It-will be understood that the recoil of the gun is governed by the peculiar shape or contour of the tapers on the throttling or recoil bar F, as the particular shape of these tapers controls the degree of throttling of the fluid passing from the recoil-chamber (1 into the front end of thecylinder A during the recoil of the gun and the return'of the fluid through the throttling device duringthe counter recoil, and, as stated above, itis desirable that this throttling action. shall at all times be commensuratewith the recoil action of the gun, so that there shall be a uniform pressure or resistance to the recoil throughout the extent of the movement of the gun. It is well known that the velocity of the recoil of theguu is less at th'eends of the movement of the gun and greater a little distance from the beginning of the recoil movement, and itis for this reason that the throttling-bar tapers, as indicated in Fig. 2, between the points ff. The counter-recoil chamber (1 must contain liquid at the end of-the recoil, so that the coun .ter recoil can be properly checked when the parts return to normal position. fest that during recoil the rear end F of the throttling-bar is drawn out of the counter-recoil chamber d tending' to produce a vacuum therein, and in order to supply this chamber with fluid we have placed an aperture (1 at a point intermediate the extreme ends of the recoil-chamber, so that when the end F of the throttling-bar approaches and finally reaches the opening or aperture (1 fluid an enter from the recoil-cylinder into the counterrecoil chamber 61 This flow of the fluid into the chamber reduces the flow of fluid past the throttling-bar into the forward end of the recoil-cylinder, and we therefore increase the diameter of the tapered portion of the bar as between the pointsff with asomewhat rapdiiierence of resistance to the movement of the throttling-bar just described. The aperture d is preferably made large enough to allow the fluid to fill the eounter-recoil chamber (Z while the throttling-bar is moving from the aperture (l to the position shown in Fig. 1. The tapered contour of the throttling-bagis during this part of the recoil diminished by an area corresponding to the area of the It is maniidly decreasing taper to compensate for thismade so long that its cylindrical portion at IIO aperture d, the taper diminishing rapidly preserved throughout the motion of recoil.

As above indicated, during the motion of recoil the counter-recoil chamber is filled with fluid, and during the counter recoilor return to battery the throttling of the fiuid is accomplished to a small extent by the double taper cooperating with the throttling-ring G,

but principally by the end F of the throttlingbar after it has passed and closed the opening d. This end of the bar F is tapered in order to close the opening (1 gradually and make the transition from the first quick motion of the counter-recoil to the final throttling motion without shock or jar. It willthus be seen that with this peculiar arrangement, comprising the double taper of the throttling-bar, to-

gether with the rearward tapered end thereof,

cooperating with the counter-recoil chamber and the aperture leading thereto, and especially with the relative quick change of dimensions or decrease of taper, as heretofore'pointed out, we are enabled to obtain a practically theoretically perfect embodiment of recoil and counter-recoil wherein there is a resistance to the parts commensurate with the recoil action of the gun throughout the period of recoil. Aside from this mode of operation of the parts the construction shown is exceedingly simple, and the parts are easily adjustable, as it is only necessary to unscrew the throttling-bar and withdraw it from the.

piston-rod for the purpose of examination or adjustment, and all the parts are exceedingly simple in construction and can be accurately tooled and fitted, and when once fitted are notliable to getout of order. are in their normal position, the edges 1) c abut against each other, and there is preferably a slight clearance between the piston-- head D and the head or nut E and also a clearance between the end F of the throttling-bar and the end of the counter-recoil chamber (1 Among the advantages of our construction we may mention the following: The recoil and counter-recoil checks are both efiected by the action of one part, which is easily removable for inspection or alteration. The construction provides an eliicient counterrecoil chamber at the end of the recoil-bar, as by closing the opening through which the chamber is filled before the counter-recoilcheck-throttlingaction occurs, and, throttling past the tight-fitting recoil-bar, it makes possible a high pressure in the counter-recoil chamber. The shape of the recoil-bar compensates for the liquid forced into the counter-recoil chamber, and thus produces a constant recoil pull notwithstandingthe fact that some liquid is forced into the counterrecoil chamber instead of into the forward end of the recoil-cylinder.

\rVhen the parts What .we claim is-- 1. A combined recoil and device comprising a cylinder, apiston-rod mounted in the cylinder and having counterrecoil chamber and recoil-eh-amben'a throttling-bar working in said chambers,the chambers having passages communicating with the cylinder but not directly with each other, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston-rod mounted therein and having counter recoil chamber and recoil chamber, a. throttling device at one end of the piston-rod, and a throttling-bar fitting the chamber-sand tapered to cooperate with the throttling device, the chambers' having passages communicating with the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston-rod mounted therein having counterrecoil chamber and recoil-chamber, and having, a throttling-ring, and a throttling-bar fitting those chambers and provided with a double taper cooperating with the throttling-ring, thechambers havingpassages communicating with the cylinder, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston mounted therein and having recoil and' counter-recoil chambers and communicating passages for said chambers, a throttling-ring and a throttling-bar, the said bar having a double taper, one of the tapers having a quick increase of dimension, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston-rod having recoil and counter -recoil chambers communicating with the cylinder,

counter recoil cham her, and a throttling-bar fitting the chamas described.

7. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston-rod mounted therein and having arecoil and counter-recoil chamber, the recoilchamber being provided with unrestricted bar and having a tapered end, substantially passages communicating with the cylinder,

and the counter recoil chamber provided with a restricted passage communicating with the cylinder, and a throttling-bar working in 1 said chambers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

1 JOHN F. MEIGS.

SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR.

Witnesses: LEIGHTON N. D. MIXSELL, EDWIN A. MILLER. 

